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Anna is a 17 year old high school student currently attending Miami Arts Studio for graphic design, with hopes to continue their education in animation and motion design after high school. After asking a few questions about their interest in graphic design, it wasn't hard for me to see just how dedicated they are. “I first had an interest in it when I was around the age of six, and I would watch stop motion videos constantly. I just found it so cool how people spend hours on end developing these things, it's kind of admirable.” Throughout their schooling, this dedication remained as Anna continues to work on her own stop motions and animations for school projects, along with having an Instagram account dedicated to their work. I then asked Anna if there are any specific schools or plans in mind, which they replied almost immediately with “I really hope to go to Ringling College. They have one of the best programs in the state for media and design, and I couldn't see myself anywhere else.” Ringling College of Art and Design is located in Sarasota, Fl, well known for its cinematography and graphic design programs. A majority of Ringling graduates are even able to land jobs with major media companies like Nickelodeon and Disney, which is exactly what Anna plans to do. “If I could work for any company it would have to be Nickelodeon or Disney, and I'm super confident I'll be able to. I hope to live somewhere like California or New York, especially since I haven't traveled too much.”
After talking about plans and desires for the future, we then began to dwell on our past together, and the things that caused us to meet in the first place. Anna has always been drawn to the supernatural and occult, with an interest that began to peak around their middle school years. “I've always felt drawn to all things mystical, and I've always felt super clairaudient, you know? Like my whole life it's been so easy for me to see and perceive people and how they're feeling about certain things, like how they're hiding emotions or feelings; stuff like that.” Talking about this made me quite nostalgic, mostly because it seemed so similar to one of the first conversations we ever had. Anna’s interest in Wicca has always been so admirable to me since I met them, and I was extremely happy and delighted that they were willing to tell me about one of their first memories they’ve had regarding it. “ When I was about 9, I was playing outside and for whatever reason something compelled me to take a stick from the tree in my backyard. I went inside and asked my mom to help me make a wand or something, and we taped this little piece of amethyst to it. I know it sounds super silly, but honestly it meant so much to me. I actually still have it on my altar to this day! I just love how something that seems so small and insignificant can hold so much value to me.” For as long as I've known Anna, this was a story I had never heard before but I'm so glad that I did. After sharing something so personal I could tell that the whole interview process was becoming much more comfortable for the both of us, becoming more of a normal conversation rather than that of a structured interview.
At this point our conversation started to become much more intimate as we started to talk about the things we and many other people struggle with; Borderline Personality Disorder. BPD is a mental disorder characterized by unstable moods, behavior, and relationships. In the United States, about 1.6% of the population has BPD, and although this seems like an insignificant number, there are more than 3 million cases a year. Surprisingly enough, I found this to be a little difficult to talk about even though this is something I'm quite familiar with, but then asked Anna in what ways their BPD primarily affected them. “It affects almost every aspect of my life. Obviously it affects my relationships with people, but that's really only the beginning. It affects my school life, family life; everything. It sucks knowing that you're hurting the people you love, but not knowing how to stop because you don't even know what you’re doing wrong.” For people with BPD, this is something that is extremely common. It's a disorder that leads to uncontrollable impulses, mood swings, fears of abandonment, and outbursts that can lead loved ones feeling helpless, offbalence, and confused, especially if they don't fully understand the disorder. BPD is also commonly referred to as a “double-edged disorder” meaning that it commonly leads onto other issues. Eating disorders, like anorexia and bulimia often occur alongside BPD as a result of the disorder, which is something that Anna has struggled with as well. “ I used to struggle with eating a lot, thankfully not as much anymore. I sometimes fall into my old habits, but at least I'm able to handle it so much better than I once was. I used to feel like how skinny I was determined how much power I had, like the smaller a person is the more power and control they have over their life you know?”
At the end of this interview, I was wholeheartedly surprised at just how much I learned about Anna. I realized that although I was familiar with the things they are passionate about and struggle with, I didn't know these things until now. Anna is an incredible person, but one of the most incredible things about them is how they use all of their experiences (good and bad) to understand themself . This in my opinion, is something we all need to learn how to do, not only to cope with the things that have harmed us but to also reminisce with the things and experiences we hold dear.
